Thermometers

ABSTRACT

A MERCURY CONSTRUCTED TO FACILITATE THE READING OF TEMPERATURES HAS THE ENTIRE INTERIOR BORE PORTION INCLUDING THE BULB COATED WITH A FLUORESCENT MATERIAL. THE EMPTY BORE PORTION UNDER MAGNIFICATION WILL APPEAR DULL AND IT WILL APPEAR MORE INTENSE IN COLOR OR BRIGHTNESS WHEN THE BORE CONTAINS THE MERCURY. THE SCALE GRADUATIONS AND NUMERALS MAY ALSO HAVE BRIGHTENING ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO READ THE MERCURY LEVEL MORE EASILY.

3,561,271 THERMOMETERS Luis Camejo, Union City, N.J., assignor ofone-third each to Jose Bovantes, Fort Lee, and Orlando Martines, UnionCity, NJ.

Filed May 19, 1969, Ser. No. 825,547 Int. Cl. G01k 1/06 US. Cl. 73-371 4Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mercury thermometer constructed tofacilitate the reading of temperatures has the entire interior boreportion including the bulb coated with a fluorescent material. The emptybore portion under magnification will appear dull and it will appearmore intense in color or brightness when the bore contains the mercury.The scale gradnations and numerals may also have brightening elementsassociated therewith to read the mercury level more easily.

The invention relates to thermometers, but more specifically to clinicalthermometers mercury filled adapted to have the mercury column moreeasily read as: in varied positions; under normally trying lightconditions in the sick room or otherwise; as an aid to those having lessthan normal eyesight; and as an aid to placement in proper readingposition.

One of the objects of the invention in addition to the aboveconsiderations is to facilitate the taking of the users own temperaturereading whether in the sick bed or otherwise.

The above objects and other ends of the invention will hereinafterappear.

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing a preferred form ofthe invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a thermometer embodying the inventionherein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the plane 22thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken across the plane 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation taken from the plane of 44 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of FIG. 1 across the plane 55thereof;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in section taken across the plane 66 ofFIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in elevation taken from the plane 7--7 ofFIG. 5.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown, aconventional clinical mercury thermometer 10 has a normal verticalcolumn 11 in bore 12 terminating in bulb 12a, divisions 13 and numerals14 being etched into the glass column 15.

United States Patent 0 "Ice A fluorescent coating material 16 of anydesirable and effective color lines bore 12, the lining beingaccomplished by any known method of deposition or other application. Acoating material 17 is also applied to divisions 13 and numerals 14,said coating material 17 being preferably fluorescent, but not beingnecessarily the same as in bore 12 colorwise or chemically, but havingthe property of making the divisions and numerals stand out brilliantlyas compared to the conventional pigment fill.

Thus, when viewing column 15 head on, the glass area indicated bynumeral 18 in FIG. 2 serves as a magnifier and enlarges bore 12. Wherethe bore is empty of mercury, the bore is faintly seen as indicated bynumeral 19 in FIG. 4. Where the bore has mercury, the bore is seenbrightly as indicated by numeral 20 in FIG. 7.

It is understood that minor changes in the device described andoperation thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a glass thermometer having a bore in the body thereofcommunicating with a bulb of mercury at the bottom of said body, saidbore being adapted to receive a mercury column therein, said body havingetched graduations and numerals on the surface adjacent said bore, incombination, a bore having a complete inner lining of coloredfluorescent material to effectuate increased visibility of the top ofthe mercury column in said bore from any vantage point.

2. In a glass thermometer as set forth in claim 1 wherein thegraduations and numerals are filled with fluorescent material.

3. In a glass thermometer as set forth in claim 1 wherein thethermometer body has a magnifying front wall.

4. In a glass thermometer as set forth in claim 1 wherein thethermometer body has a magnifying front wall and wherein the graduationsand numerals are filled with fluorescent material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,798 7/1906 Becton 7337l1,561,925 11/1925 Hespe 73-371 2,156,409 5/1939 Stobbe 25072UX 2,666,3291/1954 Hiler 250-72X 3,3 68,287 2/1968 Ault 250-72X LOUIS R. PRINCE,Primary Examiner D. M. YASICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

